Planters are an easy way to add seasonal color to your deck or patio. Planters are usually made of lumber like cedar, metal, or plastic and come in many different sizes, shapes, and styles. It’s quite common to have planters on either side of a garage or front door, under windows, or along the corners of decks or porches.

Building a planter box from scratch gives you the benefit of being able to DIY and design exactly the size, shape, and style that best fits your space. You also can select the materials that are within your budget.

Things to Consider When Designing Your Planter

When you are designing your planter box, keep in mind the space that you plan to put it. If your planter box is going into a narrow space, consider tall, slim planter boxes. If you want to put your planter box on a small porch, consider window planter boxes that don’t take up too much square footage. In general, larger planters look better from the street than small planter boxes, so go as big as your space allows.

Additionally, you will want to consider the types of plants that you plan to put into the planter. If you want something that drapes over your planter box like ivy, you can get away with a narrower planter. If you want rows and layers of plants, you will need to build a deeper planting area. (Note that a hanging planter box will require you to build more support.)

You will also want to select planter box materials that are safe for the outdoors. Woods like cedar and cypress are naturally rot-resistant and will stand up to the elements. This means you can use cedar and cypress in naturally wet areas as cedar and cypress can withstand extreme exposure to water. You can also select treated wood, which is treated with chemicals to resist water. Treated wood is not recommended for planter boxes that hold plants that you might eat, such as herbs or vegetables, because of the chemicals. You can use regular wood for a planter box and DIY treat it with an outdoor sealant as a protective coat.

Finally, you want to consider the general design of your home and outdoor space and build a planter that matches. If you have a more craftsman-style home, you might want to DIY some Shaker-style molding. If your home is more modern, you can play with interesting angles or DIY and screw on some modern metal hardware.

How to Build a Planter Box

Estimated cost to build a planter:

The cost to build a planter that's 100% DIY will vary depending on the exact materials that you select. Our sample homeowner built this planter with one board of lumber called cypress that cost approximately $20 at their local hardware store.

Supplies & Tools Needed:

• Wood
• Wood glue
• Nails
• Hanging hardware
• Optional: paint, stain, or sealant and brush to apply
• Optional: decorative hardware
• Circular or miter saw
• Sander
• Nail gun, hammer and nails, or drill and screws

Step 1: Cut your wood.

Cut your boards to create a front, back, two sides, and a bottom piece for your planter. The sizing that you choose will depend on the finished size of the planter that you want.

Step 2: Sand your boards.

Sand the cut edges and flat surfaces of all boards.

Step 3: Assemble.

Each side of this planter will be assembled by putting a line of wood glue on the seam and then pressing the boards together. Then you can either screw or drill it into place. A nail gun is the fastest way to do this, but you can also use a hammer and nails or a drill and screws if you do not have a nail gun.

Assemble your planter by attaching the two short sides to the long front piece and then attaching the back to the two short sides. Finally, add the bottom.

Step 4: Paint or stain.

Apply any paint, stain, or oil and allow to dry.

Step 5: Add decorative hardware.

Screw on decorative hardware if desired to give the piece a more distinct style.

Step 6: Hang or place outside.

Screw or attach any hanging hardware if you plan to hang it, or just set it on your deck. Enjoy!

Morgan McBride is DIY lover and home decor enthusiast living in Charleston, South Carolina. She has been blogging at CharlestonCrafted.com alongside her husband since 2012, where they empower their readers to craft their home into their dream home through the power of DIY.